About Dana

Founding Executive Director, Upturn Arts, New Orleans, LA

Dana M. Reed is the Founder and Executive Director of Upturn Arts. She founded the organization in 2010, transitioning from NYC’s Wall Street to her love of dance to provide high-quality arts education for the underrepresented youth in New Orleans. She graduated with honors from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education in 2003. Dana’s dedication to dance is evidenced by working as a master dance educator with notable worldwide institutions such as the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, Maine (2001-2014); Nightingale Bamford School in New York City (2006-2009); Cikal School in Jakarta, Indonesia (2008); and, Tulane University in New Orleans (2012). She also completed the GNO’s Strategic Partnership Community of Practice and is a New Orleans Youth Alliance Executive Director Cohort member. Recently, she has been selected to participate in an ArtSpace Immersion program to expand the reach of Upturn Arts. She continues dancing and performing with The Sunshine Dancers and loves teaching her new Mindful Movement class.